The Benefits of Pursuing a Criminal Justice Degree

Those who are driven to serve their communities are presented with a wide variety of criminal justice careers in Connecticut and around the nation. And because they are so diverse, these protectors might be curious about how much schooling they should pursue to begin their careers or to advance at work.

And while some jobs in criminal justice might not require a college degree, like dispatchers and police officers, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about pursuing one. Many other jobs in the criminal justice field require much more extensive academic pursuits. For those law enforcement and criminal justice careers that don’t require a degree, there are a number of benefits to pursuing a criminal justice degree.

College provides a safe learning environment in which to hone the skills required to become an effective officer. Even basic courses in English can help with report writing, a major factor in any criminal justice job. Writing effectively can vastly improve the efficiency and effective communication of these critical pieces of the job.

In such a people-oriented career field, using college courses to refine and improve your interpersonal communication skills is a great way to prepare for any volatile encounters that may occur. Knowing exactly how to speak in the line of duty can help to defuse potentially hazardous encounters with inmates or when making arrests. Police officers with a higher level education are significantly less likely to use force during a citizen encounter than those with only a high school education or GED, according to a paper published in Police Quarterly in 2010.

Goodwin has six public safety and offering certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees:

Students attend classes part time or full time, and can find careers in numerous rewarding fields. Career options for protectors include: border protection; computer security; corrections; customs; cybercrime investigation; the Drug Enforcement Agency; emergency management; environmental science; fire science; first responders; immigration and customs; law enforcement; public health; and security.